A probe apparatus for performing a probe test on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a “wafer”) is configured to control a position of a wafer chuck capable of moving in X, Y and Z directions and rotating about a Z axis (in a Θ direction) so that probes, e.g., probe needles, of a probe card are brought into contact with electrode pads of IC chips of the wafer, the probe card being provided above the wafer chuck which mounts thereon the wafer.
In order to make the probe needles precisely contact with the electrode pads of the IC chips on the wafer, the wafer surface is imaged by a camera provided at the probe apparatus and, also, the probe needles are imaged by a camera provided at, e.g., the wafer chuck. Next, based on the position of the wafer chuck during the imaging process, the position of the wafer chuck at which the electrodes contact with the probes is calculated, which is so-called “fine alignment”.
Further, as for a method for bringing the probe needles into contact with the wafer, there is known a method for allowing a contact between the probe needles and the electrode pads at a time, the probe needles being provided at a probe card to correspond to respective electrode pads of the wafer. This method can increase a throughput, compared to a method in which a part of the electrode pads on the wafer are sequentially brought into contact with the probe needles.
In order to perform the above-described fine alignment, a movement region of the wafer chuck needs to be ensured. However, as the wafer is scaled up, the movement region is expanded, so that the probe apparatus is also scaled up. Moreover, a demand for a throughput increase leads to a development of a loader unit for loading a plurality of carriers or a common loader unit for a plurality of inspection units (probe apparatus main bodies) (see, Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. H6-66365: FIG. 1). However, there is a trade-off relationship between a high throughput and a large occupation area of the apparatus. Further, the large occupation area of the apparatus increases the weight of the apparatus. Besides, each of the inspection units is provided with a table capable of moving in X, Y and Z directions, and the table is provided with a rotation unit for rotating the wafer chuck in a e direction. For that reason, the cost of the apparatus increases.